


Binary Stars (always seeking each other)

by ernyx



Series: BuckyNat fics (for ease of finding) [7]
Category: MCU, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Natasha Romanov, Gen, I Don't Know What to Tag Here, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Implied/Referenced Torture, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Reunions, Sappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-10 17:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13506681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ernyx/pseuds/ernyx
Summary: Months later, she finally makes it back, and is instantly checked into medical. Scar tissue is checked, bones that broke are x-rayed for healing, and finally she can walk out in peace. While she has a place at the Tower, she’s kept her apartment and goes over to make sure it’s still how she left it. She makes it up the steps, and then–Someone is there.





	Binary Stars (always seeking each other)

**Author's Note:**

> crossposted from http://artificiallyimplantedmemories.tumblr.com/post/124343609896/paticmak-my-cuties-creating-a-new-identity // feel free to prompt me here or there

     Creating a new identity is not easy. Nor is tracking down Hydra personnel who don’t want to be found, tugging at every string in your web to test loyalties, and tracing back any hints to their sources to take out literal  _fortresses_  full of tech and soldiers. 

     Spy? Yes. Assassin? Yes.  _Supersoldier_? No. It’s hard work, she takes a lot of blows, a lot of cracked bones and healing gunshot wounds, but it’s worth it.

                   _Wipe the red out of my ledger_ , she thinks in the dark.  
                              _Wipe it out, wipe it out, wipe it out._

     She sends cryptic updates to the Captain when she finds something related to Barnes (she still can’t bring herself to call him  _Bucky_  in her head but she resists calling him  _James_  either because that’s sentiment she can’t afford at the moment), passes along files by the hands of other people so that she isn’t compromised.

     Meanwhile Fury keeps up with her frequently. He’s doing most of the research, figuring out where she needs to go next, key players to either incapacitate or get information from while Steve and Sam are off chasing the Winter Soldier. At least that’s one thing less for  _him_  to worry about.

     The duo find Barnes before she’s done, of course, and get him back to Washington for rehabilitation. Sam helps him get the therapy he needs, Tony immediately wants to know everything about the metal arm, but makes up for it by talking about his own PTSD, Bruce teaches him to meditate, and Steve’s friendship helps hold him together. Clint holds a grudge for a while, but eventually relents and ends up becoming great friends with Bucky after they share their miseries about mind control and Clint shows Bucky his hidey-holes all over the Tower.

     Phil and Maria have their hands full getting together all the remaining agents loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Natasha… well, she’s used to working alone. She’s efficient, ruthless, and with a little help from time to time, manages to sweep through half of Europe and some of Russia, destroying experiment facilities so that they can’t torture and kill people trying to turn them into mutants or supersoldiers.  _So they don’t hurt them like they hurt **him** ,_ she thinks– but on the other hand, without them, he’d also be dead. She never would have met him. 

                      The thought makes her shudder, and she moves on.

     Months later, she finally makes it back, and is instantly checked into medical. Scar tissue is checked, bones that broke are x-rayed for healing, and finally she can walk out in peace. While she has a place at the Tower, she’s kept her apartment and goes over to make sure it’s still how she left it. She makes it up the steps, and then–

                                 Someone is there.  
                                                   _James is there._

     He look better than she’s seen him in  _ages_ , he’s  _smiling_ , and she sees the word before she even registers it from his lips– “ **Natalia.”**

     To hell with avoiding attachments, to  _hell_  with putting walls up and pretending sentiment didn’t exist in her world,  _to hell with it all_.

     She flings herself into his arms, beaming, hugging him as tightly as possible. Her link to humanity, the reason she survived the Red Room and the KGB, the one who taught her everything and made her everything she is– he’s right there in front of her and she can hardly believe it.

     “James,” she says hoarsely, tears in her eyes and a huge grin on her face, “you’re back. You’re  _back._  I missed you, I missed you, I missed you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Feedback? I'd love to hear it! Drop me a line either here or on my tumblr!


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